Dana S. Burl

Deputy Secretary, Military Family Policy and Programs
Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families

Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Ms. Burl began her service to the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families as the Director of Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy in October 2013.   She was appointed to Deputy Secretary, Military Family Policy and Programs in July 2024 and is now responsible for Maryland Joins Forces, a department initiative established in 2023.  She serves on the Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention and Interagency Council on Homelessness.  She is also the co-lead on the Maryland based Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans, and Families.

Ms. Burl has worked in public service since 1997, serving in diverse roles which include an investigator with child protective services, a case manager at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center, and an adjunct professor at Baltimore City Community College.  She began her service to the veteran community in 2012 when she was hired as a resource coordinator with the Department of Health’s Maryland’s Commitment to Veterans Program.

Ms. Burl received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Delaware in 1997 and her master’s degree in psychology from Towson University in 2005.  She is a prior military spouse and mom to an active duty Airman.  She lives in Anne Arundel County with her youngest son.